For Baby Boomers

Welcome to our “For Baby Boomers” section!

Muscle matters for your health at any age, because you need strong, healthy muscles and bones to support you every day. No matter what your age, it’s important to establish healthy lifestyle habits—such as eating nutrient rich foods and getting regular exercise—because these habits will help pave a path for strong muscles and bones.

Lifestyle practices that include consuming high-quality protein and participating in resistance exercise, such as weight lifting, are important to muscle strength. Maintaining muscle contributes to health and well-being, and also helps you stay active as you age.

The role of protein in healthy aging

Want to keep doing the things you like to do, whether it’s hiking with your grandkids or dancing with your friends? Healthy habits, including resistance exercise and a diet higher in protein, are key to keeping you active and able to do the activities you enjoy, while also minimizing muscle loss.

Experts recommend 2.5 hours per week of moderate-intensity activities, such as brisk walking, ballroom dancing or general gardening for adults, including older adults.

Can Vitamin D affect how you age?

Vitamin D is a key nutrient in milk that could have aging benefits linked to reduced risk for inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In a genetic study of more than 2,100 female twin pairs ages 19 to 79, British and American researchers found that higher Vitamin D levels were linked to improved genetic measures of lifelong aging and chronic stress.

Studies continue to link Vitamin D to an array of health benefits, securing Vitamin D’s “super nutrient” status and providing even more reasons to get adequate amounts of this essential vitamin. Milk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and one of the few food sources of this nutrient. The recommended three servings of low-fat or fat-free milk provide 75 percent of the Daily Value (i.e., 300 IU) of Vitamin D.